A New Tomorrow
by Star-Speckled Dragon
Summary: Nearly a decade after the first five Titans came together, strange circumstances force them and all other heroes to disband. Many years later, their children set out to reunite the team and solve the mystery.
1. Prologue: Nineteen years ago

Hello, and welcome to my story A New Tomorrow (new and improved - and renamed!) For those of you didn't read the first few chapters back when it was called "Rise of a New Generation", you can just skip the rest of this paragraph. For those of you who did, thank you _so much_ for being patient with me while I got frustrated, went on a long hiatus to work on other stories, and then took even more time to re-edit this one! I worked hard on getting any kinks out of it and making it not seem to take forever to get to the real story. What you'll notice first about the new editing is that I changed how I did the chapters: Instead of three short chapters making up a long introduction, I got rid of the third chapter (it wasn't really necessary when I thought about it) and put the first two together to make a long prologue instead. Basically, what was once chapter four is now chapter one ^_^ I also did various bits of editing on the story itself; most of it is minor stuff just to make it sound a little better, but there are a few more major changes, so it would be easiest to reread the prologue and first chapter to see what's been changed.

This is the first fanfiction in a kind of next-gen series I'll be putting up. There isn't much action in this one (until the end at least), but there will be plenty in the fictions coming after! To get a pretty darn good idea of what couples I'll be putting together, getting married and having kids, etc. you can look at the list of shippings I like on my profile.

Obviously, I don't own TT. If I did, I wouldn't be putting this up on a fanfiction website, now would I? All of the next-gen characters are my own though, along with some older ones.

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**Prologue**

_**Nineteen Years Ago**_

As the young man entered the room, he could feel the tension hanging in the air. Immediately, eight pairs of eyes were on him. He quickly scanned the long table, mentally counting and naming each of the heroes seated there. _Six Titans and the two partners_, he thought._ Good; at least they all decided to show up._ After another moment, he moved to stand by one end of the table and addressed the eight before him. He began, "Well, the association has reached a consensus on what is to be done-"

"Really? What a surprise, considering you called us all here," muttered a cloaked young woman sarcastically and impatiently. "Please Alex, just tell us what we need to know."

The man nodded a little and cleared his throat anxiously. He was accustomed to Raven's occasional comments; it was what he was going to have to say next that bothered him so much. "We have reached the conclusion," he continued, "that the best course of action would be for all superheroes to step down from their positions and live like normal people until they are again needed. Essentially, you are all to 'go into hiding' under assumed identities."

A masked man pounded his fist on the table. "No, you can't do that! Don't you all understand? The most powerful supervillains in the world don't just disappear! They're planning something; they _want_ us to go into hiding so they can make their move."

Alex sighed. "Perhaps, but it's a risk we have to take. You see, Robin, without enemies of equal strength to fight, heroes of your strength are simply too powerful. Common criminals can be stopped much more easily than those with 'super' powers or weapons, so the police force is what most often takes care of them. The police would be out of their jobs if you, whose job it normally is to stop the villains too powerful for them, were to instead handle the simpler criminals." He paused for a moment, searching for a way to explain his next argument, and then continued, "At the same time, the superhero's tactics are potentially quite destructive, causing great damage to the surrounding area. This is a negligible setback when faced against a deadly enemy who could and would wreak terrible havoc and far more destruction if not met with equally strong counterattacks, but it's simply too much when your only enemies are far less powerful. The people are frightened. I'm afraid there is nothing else we can do."

Robin relaxed slightly and shifted his gaze to the surface of the table, but he was still very tense. The person sitting next to him, a red-haired heroine, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was a moment of strained silence in the small room. Everyone wanted to say something, to object to the decision; but they knew that Alex was right.

Finally, the red-haired woman looked back up at Alex. "There is more to this decision, isn't there?" she asked softly, a tone of apprehension in her voice.

Alex nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so, Starfire. I didn't agree about this, but everyone has to come to the same terms or the organization will never work. Basically, it is this: while many heroes already have 'secret identities' and will therefore have no trouble returning to their regular lives, those who have been living for years under their 'super' identities will have to move into regular houses and become new people entirely. That's where we come in – the association has the resources to help you blend into the normal world as long as necessary. But there is a catch." He took a breath. _I really don't want to do this to them..._ "You will have to do this separate from one another. The committee has ordered a complete break of communications among team members and heroes who know one another. When you take on new identities, you will not know those of your teammates, and you will be unaware of where they come to live from then until the point when the superheroes must again come together, if that even happens."

Silence. The eight seated around the table were too stunned to be angry, or even speak. Alex knew perfectly well why: these people had worked together, been teammates and best friends, _lived_ together for nine years, and now they had to just drop their lives and separate from one another?

Finally, after many agonized moments, Starfire looked at him and asked the inevitable question. "But… Why?"

Alex sighed. "I have to admit, the reasoning behind this decision includes some good points. The fear is that for you to still live near one another and know each other wouldn't make sense for a group of people that have just moved to the area and shouldn't know anyone. Even if you were to pretend you had just met, it would be far too easy to let something slip and reveal yourselves. Meanwhile, a group of people talking about their shared past in secret is more likely to make a mistake and spill the secret than one or two." He paused to let this explanation sink in, then decided it was high time to put some soothing balm on the stinging subject.

"Of course, there are a few exceptions. I'm afraid that only one applies to your team, though: the issue of family. The association will not be so cold as to force siblings or spouses to part, so some of you will at least have one other teammate with you.

Alex couldn't help but smile at the relieved glances the married Titans gave their spouses. _How lucky to have had couples form within the team,_ he thought. _I just hope there will be something I can do for the rest of them._

The meeting didn't last much longer. Alex outlined when and how the heroes were to prepare for "going into hiding", only interrupted by the surprising announcement that Raven would be traveling to Azarath for a few years before she could return to Earth. He then stepped back and took one last, slightly apologetic look at the eight still seated around him. "I can't imagine what it must be like for all of you to make this kind of a move, but I can only guess that there will be many changes, both good and bad, awaiting you. Prepare yourselves as much as you can, and make the most of the time you have. I wish good luck to all of you."

* * * * *

The six members of the Titans West walked silently out of the room into the adjoining hallway. They waved and mumbled their good-byes to Jinx and Flash, fellow heroes whose partnership was nearly as old as the team itself, as the two passed by and left the building. They then stood there and looked at one another wordlessly, no one sure of what to say, until Cyborg finally broke the strained silence.

"Well, I can't say we didn't see this coming."

Robin nodded and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "Ever since the major villains began to disappear, there's been pressure on us because of our strength. I guess it was inevitable… But I can't believe they would force us to break communication with one another!" He closed his eyes, although it was nearly impossible to tell behind his mask. "Nine long years. We've been together since we were teenagers, although I guess I don't need to tell any of you that."

The others laughed a little. When the first of the Titans had turned 20, it had been pretty obvious that they couldn't call themselves the "Teen Titans" any longer, so they had chosen the team name "Titans West" because of their alliance with the Titans East and their location on the west coast of the United States.

Terra smiled as she reminisced. "Yeah. We really haven't changed too much in all that time, have we? Even I've been on the team for eight years, and no one else has come or gone."

Cyborg nodded, a playful twinkle in his eye. "Yup. And it looks like relationships haven't really changed much, either," he added, casting a teasing glance at Terra and Beast Boy, then Starfire and Robin; both couples had exchanged wedding vows within the past couple of years.

A few of the Titans smiled for a moment, but the hall fell to silence again. After a couple of moments, Beast Boy turned to Raven. "So, I'm still confused. Why exactly are you going to Azarath again?"

Raven sighed in exasperation. "Like I said before, it's still little more than ruins after the destruction Trigon caused. I decided that if I can't be Raven here any more, I should go back and help rebuild it."

Beast Boy nodded. "Okay, right, but how long does that have to take? You told Alex that you wouldn't be back for a while."

Raven shook her head sadly and shrugged. "I… don't know. So much was destroyed, with most of the inhabitants killed or chased away – I'm guessing it will be a few more years. And if Trigon begins to gain strength again, I'll have to stay even longer to make sure he is contained." She hung her head for a moment, but then looked up defiantly. "But I _will_ return when it's over. With any luck, this 'going into hiding' business will be over by then, and I'll be able to return to the team right away."

Terra thought over what Raven had said for a moment, when she suddenly realized something. "Oh, hey! Rorek lives in Azarath now, doesn't he? You should be able to see him while you're there."

Cyborg nodded and smiled slightly. "She's right. And your mother, she'll be in Azarath too. You're lucky there, getting to see some old friends and family," he added. His voice faltered faintly as he said this; not enough for most people to notice, but a sufficient amount for his friends to understand that something was wrong.

"What is it, Cyborg?" Starfire asked gently. "Something ails you."

Cyborg leaned against the wall behind him and looked to the side. "It's just that… When we separate, you all are going to at least have someone with you. It's like Alex said, at least married couples get to remain together. And as for Raven, you won't only have Rorek to keep you company, but you'll get to actually _be yourself_ in Azarath. But what about me? I won't have anyone."

The other Titans started at this realization, almost feeling guilty about the small bit of good fortune they had. "I didn't realize," Robin said. "I'm so sorry it has to be this way…"

Cyborg put up a hand and shook his head. "No, you don't have to be." He looked up and sighed. "It's not like it's your fault. Who knows, maybe these committee guys will help me find somebody I knew before I became a Titan, and I'll have someone to be with after all."

Robin nodded in agreement, but the hallway fell quiet yet again. It was as if there was nothing left _to_ say – as if the six teammates and best friends could no longer put their thoughts and feelings into words. Finally, after a long moment of silent reminiscence, Raven spoke up. "Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but go home and get ready." She started for the door at the front of the hall. "Come on, let's go. I want to give everyone something before I leave."

The others quickly followed, curious as to what it was she wanted to give them. The six made their way down the hall and out the door into the sunshine. And, just like that, the Titans were gone.

* * *

Just a quick question (I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is going to be, though): Should I put Jinx and Flash (grown-up Kidflash, obviously) together as a married couple as well? It's a pretty popular cannon shipping, and one I like myself, but I want to see what you guys think. (_Note_: This is NOT an excuse to get into some kind of deranged couple war with my reviews as the battlefield!!!) And yes, regular reviews are very much appreciated!


	2. Chapter One: New Neighbors

**Chapter One: New Neighbors**

It was a hot summer's day in Dorad, a small town not too far from the bustling metropolis of Jump City. The sun shone brightly over small, fluffy clouds that lazily drifted by. Children and teenagers shouted as they played games in a park or swam in a backyard pool, grateful that the school year had ended. Adults took leisurely walks down the street, chatted with friends, or simply watched their little ones scamper through the grass, laughing at the children's antics. In one neighborhood, the spirit of competition had begun to flare as a lone pair of teens crouched at a street corner, preparing to race.

"Ready…"started fourteen-year-old Jenna, an excited gleam in her eye.

"Aren't I always?" her twin brother, Matt, replied with a smirk directed toward his sister.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. All right then – set… and… GO!"

The brother and sister took off. Both slim and athletic, the two could nearly have been mistaken for identical twins had they not been of the opposite gender. They were about the same height, both relatively tall. They shared the same straight black hair (although Jenna's was much longer), bright green eyes, and fair skin. They were evenly matched runners – one of the reasons they enjoyed racing one another – but this time around the winner of the event became clear when Matt stumbled and fell onto the grass.

Jenna turned around for a moment and chuckled. "See ya later!" she teased as she dashed off. Matt scowled at her retreating form but stood up quickly, unhurt by the fall. He rapidly picked up speed to catch up with his sister, but it was only a moment later that she reached the agreed-upon "finish line" – the front door to their house.

Jenna opened the door and stepped triumphantly inside, but stopped and stood in the doorway to catch her breath. Not really the best idea, considering how a moment later her brother barreled into her, knocking both onto the ground with a loud crash and a cry of "Ooowww!". The sound quickly brought out their mother, who rushed into the room to see what was going on.

"What in the world… Were you two fighting again?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, Mom," Matt replied in embarrassment as he got up off of his sister. "We were, uh, racing, and I kind of…"

Jenna stood up as well and brushed herself off, but she was laughing. "I was ahead, and then I got into the doorway, but he couldn't see me so he ran into me. I guess it was my fault, really. We're fine though, right Mattie?"

Matt was relieved that his sister wasn't mad at him, but he frowned at the sound of the silly nickname she had given him. "Will you stop calling me that already? I'm your twin brother, not some little kid!" he snapped. He was answered by only a mischievous grin, but before he could continue he was cut off by his mother.

"Well then, if you two have been running around outside, you should come in and wash up. Your father should be home in a few minutes, and supper will be ready by then."

* * * * *

As the twins entered the bathroom to wash their dirty hands and sweaty faces, Jenna glanced at her brother. "Hey, did you see the sign at the Wellington place today? They've finally sold the house."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I noticed," he replied, reaching for the soap. "Why?"

Jenna shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. I'm just wondering what the new family's gonna be like. You know, will they be old, young, have a little kid we can baby-sit, or maybe one our age…"

Matt nodded again, but this time more slowly; he could sense that she was thinking about something more than just what this new family would be like. "Okay, and…?"

Jenna, who was now drying off her hands, stopped and clutched the towel, thinking. "Well, it's just… I…" She sighed and threw the towel back onto the countertop, then leaned forward, her arms resting on the counter. "You know how it always is – the secrets, the fear, the suspicion. No matter who we meet, we'll never get to let them know everything about who we are. About _what_ we are." She leaned closer, studying her face carefully in the mirror. Her right hand twitched for a second, then suddenly shot up to her face, where she removed two objects that looked like large contact lenses and that almost always covered her eyes. Matt automatically stiffened at the action, but she caught his movement in the mirror and turned to shoot him a glare. "It's not like there are any outside windows for people to see through," she pointed out. He shrugged the piercing look off and relaxed, and she turned back around and studied the true color of her eyes: bright green irises as they had been before, but with a lighter, pale green where one expected the "whites" of the eyes to be. The eyes of a Tameranian – or, in her case, a half-Tameranian.

Robin and Starfire had "hidden" themselves within normal society well. He had simply needed to remove the mask, return to using his real name and fabricate a story about where he had been all the years since he left his old guardian Bruce Wayne. She, in order to keep people from recognizing her as easily by her face, had cut her hair, dyed it dark brown, and straightened her curled bangs so that they hung just over her eyes, covering her pinpoint eyebrows. Like Jenna and Matt, she used contact-like lenses that made the pale green in her eyes appear white, although hers also gave her brown eyes to further hinder any possible recognition. She had taken the first name Corina so that she could have an excuse to be called "Cori", which sounds like the Tameranian word for "star", for short. And, of course, both the alien and her half-human children had to conceal their inhuman powers and extraordinary strength.

Matt walked up to the counter beside her sister, who turned and looked at him through those green eyes that revealed so much. "Hey, it's not so bad," he reassured her. "At the risk of sounding corny, at least we have each other to confide in, right? Besides, it's not like we're the ones who protected everyone as superheroes for years and then had to just throw it all away. _That_ has to be tough."

Jenna smiled a little, but she was still feeling down. "I guess. Still, it's not easy to think that your future depends so much on how well your family can hide its past. It's either pretend you're a normal, completely human family with no weird background, or risk some sort of deranged anti-hero coming after you. Sometimes I just wish we could go out and tell the world who we really are."

Just then, the sound of the front door opening came through the house. The twins looked out the bathroom door in unison, and then looked back at each other. "Dad's home," Matt announced needlessly. "Time for supper."


	3. Chapter Two: The Dragon's Secret

All right, here's where the fun begins! First real new chapter for this story in quite some time, it's kind of exciting :)

Oh, I almost forgot! Remember the character "Rorek" mentioned in the prologue? Well, if you want to understand what all is going on with him (and you probably will... really soon...), you can read my fanfic titled _The Dragon-Wizard_... or at least the first chapter... for an explanation. The story itself isn't finished yet (at least, not at the time of this update), but just about all of the information you would need is in chapter one. Take a look!

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**Chapter Two: The Dragon's Secret**

They first met her the day her family moved into the Wellington's old place. She was thirteen, only a year younger than them, but that was about the only thing they knew about her – after all, she had been busy helping to unpack, and there had only been time for brief introductions before she had to bring another box into the house.

Her name was Kim. She was petite and light-skinned, and had long brown hair and small, deep blue eyes. She was an only child. Her family had moved from far away – probably another country, judging by her father's accent.

It was about a week later that Jenna spotted her new neighbor again. This time, Kim lay silently on a porch swing, reading in the sunlight. Jenna hesitated for a moment, not sure whether she should interrupt the girl, but curiosity got the best of her. Motioning for her brother to follow, she made her way up to the front porch.

"Hi!" Jenna called out. Kim, who had until that point been engrossed by the book and therefore unaware that she had visitors, jumped at the sound. She looked up and blushed slightly, then sat up and set the book down beside her.

"Umm… Hi," she replied. "You two are… Jenna and Matt Grayson, right?"

Matt smiled. "That's us." He nodded toward the book. "What are you reading?"

Kim shrugged. "Just a fantasy novel. I like reading, and there isn't too much for me to do right now."

"Well, why don't you come over to our place for a little bit?" Jenna offered. "We could hang out and get to know each other better."

Kim thought about it for a moment, glancing toward her house. Then she turned back to her new friends, a smile creeping to her lips. "Okay."

* * * * *

Kim looked around at the room she was now in. "You have a nice house," she commented.

Matt shrugged. "Yeah, it's all right. Our mom's a teacher and our dad's a police officer, so it's not like we can get anything too fancy."

Jenna strolled aimlessly down the hall, her brother and her neighbor walking a foot or two behind her. "So, Kim, you like fantasy stuff?" she asked, looking behind her.

"Yes," Kim replied eagerly. "I enjoy stud-…er…reading about magic. I also like the different kinds of creatures."

"Creatures? You mean like unicorns and dragons and everything?"

"Yes, exactly."

Jenna grinned. "Yeah, magic and mythical creatures are pretty cool. We don't really have much of those kinds of things here though… except for him."

As she said this, she pointed at something on a table in a small room they were passing. It was a figurine of a black and purple dragon.

"He was given to my parents by an old friend, a long time ago," she explained. "We call him 'Roary' – not the best name, but I think it's cute."

Curious, Kim went inside the room to get a closer look. As she approached, she let out a small gasp and instantly picked up the statuette to study it more closely. Jenna and Matt exchanged puzzled glances and eased into the room as well.

"Kim, you all right?" Matt asked, a tone of alarm barely perceptible in his voice.

Kim didn't seem to hear him. She simply turned the figurine over and over again, muttering, "It can't be… Everything's exactly as it should be…"

Suddenly, she whipped around to face the twins. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Matt started. "What are you talking about? We're who we say we are; why would we lie about our own names?"

Kim put a worried hand to her forehead. "No, I mean… Who are your parents? Who gave this to them? I mean…" She sighed and turned back away again. "I don't know what I mean…"

Jenna swallowed nervously. _How on Earth could she have recognized it?_

Kim stood silently for a moment, looking over the dragon. Without turning back, she began to speak quietly. "My mother… made four small statues, nineteen years ago. She gave three of them to her closest friends, and kept one for herself. Each one looked normal enough, but represented something important about the memories they had shared. Not long after, they went their separate ways, and could not contact one another any longer." Slowly and still clutching the figurine, she turned around and gazed at her two companions. "This was one of them, I'm sure of it. So please, just tell me: _Who are you?_"

Jenna looked hesitantly at her brother, her expression asking _'Should we trust her?'_ He nodded after a moment, and she turned back. "Our parents… are Starfire of Tamaran and Robin, ex-leader of the Titans West. We are children of the Titans."

Kim thought this over for a moment, and slowly began to smile. "I'm certain you already realize this, but… So am I."

* * *

And the adventure begins! You know, part of me really wishes I hadn't put so many hints about Kim's identity throughout the chapter - makes me feel like it was too obvious. Oh well, I like how it turned out anyway. Please review, I'll start working on the next chapter ASAP!


	4. Chapter Three: Children of the Titans

**Chapter Three: Children of the Titans**

Jenna put a hand to her forehead, her head reeling with the bizarre revelation. She could tell that her brother and neighbor were feeling the same way by their own incredulous expressions.

Matt suddenly rushed to the door and looked out into the hall, checking to make sure his parents weren't nearby.

"Dad's at work and Mom's working outside, remember?" his sister informed him.

Matt sighed. "Right," he murmured distractedly, stepping back into the room. He ran his fingers through his hair. "This is crazy! This can't be happening… Raven's _daughter_ at our house…"

Kim, who still clutched the dragon figurine, began to stroke its wings gently. "I was born in Azarath," she explained softly. "For me, the name 'Kim' is actually short for 'Kimera'." She looked up. "You know, like the mythical creature? Except spelled differently… My parents and I lived in Azarath until a couple of weeks ago, when we were finally able to come to Earth – and we ended up here."

Jenna nodded as she considered this. She remained silent for a moment, but a sudden thought jolted her from her reverie. "Wait a minute," she muttered. "When the Titans were broken apart, Raven still hadn't been married yet." She gave Kim a curious look. "So, who's your father? What's he like?"

Kim blushed slightly and glanced down at the statuette. Jenna caught the movement and immediately burst into a fit of excited giggles.

"No way! She actually married Rorek?" she sputtered, trying to stifle her laughter. "That's so cool! I didn't think they would actually get together."

The young Azarathean smiled at this, amused by her new friend's excitement at the prospect. Matt didn't really react, however – something was still bugging him. He tapped a finger on the table, thinking. "It still doesn't make sense," he thought aloud. "Doesn't AOSSHU pretty much handle where we can all live?"

Kim gave him a confused look. "'Aw-shoo?'"

"The Association for the Organization and Security of Super-powered Heroic Units," Jenna clarified.

Kim's eyes sparked in recognition. "Oh, them! Yeah, they helped my family pick out a house near the city and everything."

Matt nodded. "So, if they're so into keeping all of our parents apart, why would they let two families with members of the same team live near each other?"

Kim tilted her head a little as she thought over this question. "Maybe they just made a mistake," she suggested. "I mean, most people would probably have wanted to stay near where they had lived before the big break-up, right? So maybe they went along with that and didn't notice that our families were so close together."

"I don't know about that. They seem too organized to make that kind of mistake."

"Well," Jenna piped in, "Maybe they had different people work with our family than with Kim's, and both groups happened to put us in the same neighborhood. Or maybe they figured that we wouldn't recognize each other, especially since it's been so long. Why does it matter anyway? The important thing is that we're here, and now we can –"

Before she could finish, she was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. The three immediately hushed as Cori's voice rang through the house. "Kids?" she called. "Where are you?"

"In here," the twins chirruped in unison, Jenna sticking her head out the door and waving to get her mother's attention. Cori made her way to the little room and greeted her children and Kim with a broad, friendly smile.

"Oh, so you must be Kimberly Roth," she greeted her young guest. Kim replied with a shy nod.

"Most people call me Kim, actually," she clarified.

Cori chuckled. "Now, I'm very curious," she continued. "Where is your family from? Have you ever visited this area?"

"_Mooom_!" Matt groaned. "Can't we talk about this later?"

Kim didn't seem to mind the questions, however. "My mother is from around here, actually. My father is from England, but I was born in another part of the country. We eventually decided to move back here."

Matt shot his neighbor a quick quizzical look over her story, and then stopped his mother before she could ask any more questions. "Seriously, Mom, can we talk about this later? We were in the middle of a conversation when you came in, and it's… kind of just among the three of us."

Cori let out a small sigh, but her eyes sparked with amusement. "All right, if you three wish to be alone…" She turned and left the room without another word. The twins and their new neighbor waited in silence until they heard the front door open and close again.

Suddenly, Kim let out an involuntary squeal. She immediately put a hand to her mouth in embarrassment, but she wore a broad smile. "I can't believe it… that was _her_!" she whispered. "I was starting to doubt I would ever meet my mom's old teammates, but she's one of them!"

Matt chuckled. "If you think that's cool, you should stay for dinner. Then you'll get to meet our dad."

Kim blushed a little, still embarrassed, but she relaxed and turned to Jenna. "Um, so what was it you were saying before? Something about us all being here and that now we can do something?"

Jenna grinned. "Well," she started, "I've got this crazy idea. If two of the Titans families can find each other during this whole secret-hiding thing, why can't they all? I'll bet that if the three of us work together and start looking for ways to find the others, we could even reunite the whole team!"

Matt cocked his head slightly, a worried look on his face. "I don't know," he replied. "Didn't AOSSHU have a special reason for keeping them apart? What if we get caught?"

Jenna leaned back against the wall. "We're all clever people. We won't get caught," she insisted confidently. "Come on, Mattie," she added, "they haven't seen each other in almost twenty _years_! Don't you think they deserve a reunion of some kind?"

Matt didn't reply right away, even ignoring his sister's use of his pet name. He leaned against the opposite wall, thinking.

"So…" Kim ventured after a moment, "Should we tell our parents about this? They would know how to track down the other Titans better than us."

Jenna thought over this. "That might make it easier," she considered, "but wouldn't it be cool if we made this whole thing a surprise?"

"Yeah," Matt suddenly added in, looking up again. "Besides, if we tell them now, someone might freak out and try to stop us."

Jenna looked toward her brother, surprised. She beamed. "So, does that mean you're in?"

Matt smirked. "How can I resist?... But if we get in trouble for this, I'm blaming you."

Jenna laughed. "Fine by me!" She stood up straight and continued. "Hey, while we're doing this, maybe we can try and figure out what happened to make the supervillains disappear in the first place."

Matt's smile disappeared. "Okay, now _that's_ just crazy talk," he argued. "If the heroes who actually fought those guys and AOSSHU couldn't find anything, what makes you think _we_ will?"

Jenna shrugged, her enthusiasm diluted only a little by her brother's reasoning. "Well, no harm in trying, right? We could start by finding what they _do_ know, and then, who knows? Maybe we'll find another clue or something they missed."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Kim agreed. She paused for a moment. "But… there's one question that's been kind of bugging me." Her face fell slightly, a puzzled and somewhat worried expression written on it. "How are we going to get the information we need?"

* * *

How is it that the first two times one of the old Titans shows up after the prologue, it's the same character both times? *shrugs* Hmm, I guess that's just the way it turned out. Don't worry, other Titans/parents will be making some major entrances next chapter, so it'll all even out.

See? I told you you'd want to read at least some of _The Dragon-Wizard_... Bet you want to get caught up now, huh? (Unless, of course, you really _did _already read it *laughs*)

Oy! No one has answered my question from the prologue note yet! Be sure to tell me if you want those two to be together or not. And don't forget to leave a regular review too, if you would please!


	5. Chapter Four: Summer Days

Long time, no see, eh? *sweatdrop* Yeah... I'm so _so_ sorry about the long wait for this latest chapter, I'm still working on my timing. Can I try to (somewhat, not really) make it up to you by giving out a fast fact about the story? Well, here it is if you're interested: The name of the town that this is set in, "Dorad", is based off of the Spanish word _dorado_, which means "golden". It's a reference to San Fransisco, the "golden gate city", which I'm pretty sure (haven't checked for confirmation) is what Jump City is supposed to be based off of ^_^ When I start adding school scenes later in the story, I'll probably mention the high school mascot as the Golden Eagle – now you know why... corny as that may be...

* * *

**Chapter Four: Summer Days**

Kim's question lingered through the summer air, as the three amateur sleuths soon found that their plans were far easier said than done. In the weeks that followed that fateful encounter, they met up nearly every chance they had, discussing their shared heritage and trying to brainstorm ways to get the information they wanted.

It was far from easy. The only people who knew the locations of the other heroes were the members of AOSSHU – and they were the ones who had forced the Titans to separate in the first place. The organization was secretive and highly secure, as a protection for its "clients" against those who would have them destroyed. Although there was an administrative center in Dorad for the Grayson (and now the Roth) families, and all three of the teens had visited it on multiple occasions, the security protecting its database remained too tight for them to infiltrate.

Getting information on the story behind the big break-up turned out to be slightly less impossible. The three knew the basics, naturally: Over the course of a couple months, the supervillains of the world had stopped showing their faces, as if they had given up crime for good or simply vanished. The heroes had suspected trickery and tried to investigate the disappearance, but to no avail. They had turned to stopping petty criminals and other jobs that they were normally too busy to face, only to find that they were too powerful for these simpler tasks, and did more harm than good. That was when AOSSHU (a civilian association that had been formed a year or two beforehand to help keep the superhero forces organized) had decided that it would be better for the heroes to "vanish" as well.

* * * * *

"Here," Kim announced one afternoon as she set an aged newspaper clipping down in front of her friends. "I found this in the library yesterday. It's about some of the old villains."

Jenna reached for the clipping, eager as always to discover what information it held. She began to read the article aloud.

_"**City still in the dark as to whereabouts of escaped convicts**_

_"When the "Hive Five" supervillain team escaped Jump City prison two weeks ago, they were expected to soon make an appearance committing burglary, launching an attack on the police force or the Titans West, or spreading general chaos. It was not expected that they would join in the string of sudden disappearances that now seems to be affecting all of Jump City's worst._

_"The escape of this long-standing team of villains has been thoroughly investigated, and reports indicate that the job was done by an outsider, who forced his or her way into the prison undetected and freed the convicts within. At the time of the break-in, security cameras were lost to interference, and guards were unable to locate or even catch a glimpse of the intruder. The job is expected to have been completed by a veteran criminal, although the reason for the break-in, as well as the reason for the disappearance of the Hive Five, is still unknown. Further investigations are currently being performed by the police force and the Titans West._

_"Although the Hive Five has been a threat to the city since its members were teenagers, it has not participated in many large-scale schemes since the destruction of the HIVE Academy. The team was first formed due to its members' association within the academy, and…_

"…Blah blah history stuff we already knew," Jenna concluded. She looked back up at the others.

Matt glanced over the page curiously. "So, these guys escaped from prison right before they went into hiding?" He furrowed his brow. "Doesn't sound like they were giving up crime to me."

Jenna nodded. "Yeah," she agreed, "It sounds like they were planning to be part of something big." She traced over the part about the outsider's assistance with her finger. "And they weren't the only ones planning it."

Kim nodded. "That's what I thought when I saw it." Her face darkened. "Do you think they might not have been the ones planning it _at all_?" she suggested. "I mean, what if the guy who broke in was some person who wanted to take the law into their own hands? What if they just got the supervillains out so they could…?" She trailed off.

"Kill them?" Matt guessed. Kim nodded an affirmative, but Jenna replied with a thoughtful frown.

"Considering they haven't been heard from since, that _is_ a pretty good theory. But… I don't know; it just doesn't seem to fit." She looked back at the clipping. "If someone wanted to just kill all the baddies, why would they let them out of jail first? Wouldn't it be easier to finish someone off while they're trapped behind bars?"

Matt shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they just didn't like people with superpowers in the first place, and decided that making the villains 'disappear' would make the public nervous enough that they'd get rid of the heroes as well."

Jenna chuckled lightly. "So we're back to square one now?" she interpreted. "Whoever organized this was trying to get rid of the heroes… looks like that's the most likely reason we can come up with for this whole mess."

Matt grinned as he added, "Or we could just be paranoid."

At that moment, the three heard an outside door open. The discussion halted immediately, and Kim stuffed the bit of newspaper into the handbag that she had brought it home in. They then began an apparently fascinating discussion over what classes they would be taking once school started up again.

After a few minutes, Kim's father "Samuel" appeared in the doorway.

"Now, are you three going to spend the entire evening in this room, or are we going to the barbeque?"

* * * * *

It soon became clear that Kim wasn't accustomed to fireworks.

The girl couldn't seem to decide whether she was enchanted or terrified by the iconic Fourth of July event. She would almost routinely jump back whenever a firecracker went off or a rocket exploded in the air, only to gaze in awe as the starburst lit up the night sky. Of the neighborhood kids who weren't too absorbed in the display to notice her behavior, the nastier ones whispered snide remarks to one another while others simply spared her a curious glance. Matt and Jenna, meanwhile, just exchanged a knowing look.

"We don't exactly have fireworks where I'm from," the Azerathean had earlier disclosed to them, under her breath.

Meanwhile, the adults at the party quickly found themselves absorbed in the topic that their conversations always drifted to – their children.

"It's good to see Kim talking and laughing with the others," Samuel said as he watched his daughter.

Richard Grayson nodded. "She seems like a pretty quiet girl," he commented.

"Yes," Samuel agreed. "She has always been a little shy, so I was afraid that she would have a difficult time making friends when we moved here." He turned to his neighbor. "She's really getting along well with your two."

Richard chuckled in agreement, but as after a moment he folded his arms and sighed. "I just don't get it," he murmured, more to himself than his friend. "Jenna and Matt are outgoing enough, but they never seem to get very close with any of their friends. They mostly just hang out with one another… At least, that was the case until they met Kim. I can't help but wonder… What's changed?"

To be honest, there was something odd about the entire Roth family. He couldn't quite put a finger on it – It wasn't like any of them looked or acted strange, but there seemed to be something overly familiar about them. It was almost as if…

Richard shook his head slightly. No, that was silly. He'd never met any of them until they had moved into the neighborhood. The husband _was_ from Europe, after all.


End file.
